Post for steel partitions



March 3, 1936. A. s. DRIVER 2,032,922

POST FOR STEEL PARTITIONS Filed Sept. 27, 1930 ej: ...Jj 5,

' of steel partitions.

Patented Mar. 3, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE POST FOR STEELPARTITIONS York Application September 27, 1930, Serial No. 484,750

16 Claims.

In the construction of metallic or so-called steel partitions, postsmade up of complementary hollow shaped sections are usually employed,with special fastenings or clips for securing the post sections orhalf-posts together. These clips are manipulated partly inside andpartly outside the post sections, usually one set at one side of thewall and another set at the opposite side of the wall.

The locating and securing of these clips partly inside and partlyoutside the post sections and the need for using them at both sides ofthe wall means a relatively heavy labor cost and the expenditure ofconsiderable time in the erection The fastenings heretofore employedfo-r the post sections also in many cases are incapable of withstandingthe twisting forces exerted on the post sections by long lengths ofpartitions attached to the post sections.

The objects of the present invention are to overcome and eliminate theobjections found in the present practice, particularly those mentioned,and to provide simple, effective and inexpensive means for quickly andpositively fastening the post sections together.

The novel features of construction, combinations and relations of partsby which the objects are attained are set forth in the followingspecification.

The drawing accompanying and forming part of the specificationillustrates one commercial form of the invention, this being intendedprimarily for disclosure purposes, as the structure may be modified invarious ways without departure from the true spirit and broad scope ofthe invention.

Fig. 1 is a broken perspective and sectional View of the post portion ofa steel partition, illustrating the invention in use; Fig. 2 is a brokenvertical sectional view as on substantially the plane of line 2-2 ofFig. 1; Fig. 3 is a broken sectional detail of a corner portion of thepost with the new special fastener in position therein; Fig. 4 is adetached perspective view of the fastener alone.

In Fig. 1 two sections of steel partition are indicated at 5, 6, setinto the opposite sides of a post made up of the half -post sections 1,8. These half-posts may be of any desired configuration, according tothe style of partition and they are shown as having at their lopposingedges the angularly inturned flanges 9, 9, and l0, I0. The presentinvention makes these inside anges unnecessary for fastening purposesand they may in fact be omitted, if the post sections have sufcientrigidity without them. They are however, utilized in the presentdisclosure as holding 'abutments The fastener for holding the half-postsor post sections together consists in the embodiment ilc lustrated of aflat plate II, which may be of sheet metal, shaped to fit the insideconfiguration of the post sections and secured horizontally in positionbridging the post sections. Thus, the plate shown, has end edges I2, I3,abutting the end lo walls I4, I5, of the half-posts and side edges I6abutting the edges of the inturned flanges 9, 9, and El?, It.

Between opposed flanges, the fastener plate has neck extensions IIabutting the opposed faces 15 of the flanges. These neck extensionsterminate in angularly-turned flanges I8 lying outside the space betweenthe opposed post sections and at the edges these flanges have outwardlycurved hooks or lugs I9 bearing against the outer faces 20 of the postsections.

In the particular form of the invention here shown, angle pieces 2@ arewelded or otherwise suitably secured to the inside faces of the halfposts, projecting toward each other as in Fig. 2 25 and forming ineffect cooperating shelves on which the fastener plate rests. Theseshelves o r supports may be struck inward from the metal of the postsections, but because of their bracing effect the welded-on angle piecesmay be preferred.

Suitable fastenings may be employed for securing the fastener plate inbridging relation on the shelves or inwardly projecting lugs 20. In thepresent illustration, these fastenings take the form of drift pins 2|shown driven down through the registering openings 22, 23, in theplateand lugs 2! respectively, said openings being so placed that thedrift pins will draw the half posts inward. into tight abuttingengagement with the edges of the fastener plate.

The outwardly curled lugs I9 serve as spring retainers holding the edgeflanges of the post sections firmly engaged with the edges of thefastener plate and serve also as spring retainers for the pilasters 24which vare held in place by springing them over these lugs.

The fastener plates are inserted edgewise through the slots between thepost sections, then turned horizontally and dropped down on the shelvesor anchor lugs 20. The drift pins 2| can then be tapped down through thealigned openings 22, 23, to draw the post members tight together on theplate, which will then serve as a rigid tie bracing the post sectionsagainst twist- Ait j lapse, as indicated in Fig. 3.

ing movements and fastening them together as a solid unitary post. Oneor a number of the fasteners may be employed in a single post, dependingupon the height of the post. These fasteners are relatively inexpensiveand can be readily made with simplecutting and forming dies from sheetmetal stock. They take up but small space in shipment and can be quicklyplaced from either side of the wall without requiring any special skill.

The anchorage lugs 2B may extend the full Y Width between the inturnedflanges 9, 9, or IU, Il),

of each half-post, bracing the latteragainst col What is claimed is:

l. In combination with the half-posts of a metal partition, opposedinwardly projecting lugs carried by said half-posts, a fastener plategenerally conforming to the interior configuration of the half-posts andsupported on said lugs, means for fastening the plate in position onsaid lugs including drift pins engaging openings in the plate and lugsfor drawing the half-posts together into solid abuttingpost-contour-maintaining engagement with the plate, said platepreventing twisting movement of said half-posts.

2. As a newarticie of manufacture, a fastener for the half-posts of ametalpartition, comprising a substantially hat plate having the generalcontour ofthe inside configuration of cooperating half posts and havingat opposite edges projecting portions carrying pilaster holding snaplugs.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a fastener' for the half-posts ofmetal partitions, comprising a substantially flat plate having thegeneral contour of the inside configuration ofk cooperating half posts,said plate having projecting neck portions with flanges provided at theends with outwardly bent pilaster holding lugs.

4. As a new article of manufacture, a fastener for the half-posts ofmetal partition, comprising a platemember having the general contour oithe inside configuration of cooperating half-posts and provided withvertical drawing openings and wedge means therein for the drawing of thehalfposts together toward the edges of said plate member.

5. As a new article of manufacture, a fastener for the half-posts ofmetal partition, comprising 'a plate member having the general contourof the inside configuration of cooperating half-posts and provided withmeans for the drawing of the half -posts together against the edges ofsaid plate member, said plate having a projecting neck portion providedwith pilaster holding lugs.

6. As a new article of manufacture, a fastener for the half-posts ofmetal partition, comprising inner configuration of the post sections andhaving a vertically extending flange formed with pilaster gripping meansfor securing a pilaster thereto against said post sections. Y

8. A metal-post assembly device comprising a post-contour maintainingplate portion having a projection at an angle thereto, said projectionforming pilaster-engaging snap lockers.

9. A metal-post assembly device comprising a post-contour maintainingplate portion for presaid plate portion having a projection formingpilaster-oamming snap lugs for engaging and locking a pilaster to thepost.

10. A metal-post assembly device comprising a post-contour maintainingportion for preventing twisting of the post and having a pilaster camlock extending therefrom.

11. A metal-post assembly device comprising a post-contour maintainingplate portion for assembly within a post substantially at right anglestoi opposed post surfaces to lock them against relative movement, saidplate portion having pilaster cam lock lugs extending therebeyond.

12. In combination with a hollow, metal, partition post, a horizontallysupported post-contour maintaining plate bracing said post againsttwisting movement, said plate having a vertically extending portionprojecting beyond the post contour and provided with pilaster securinglugs.

13. A fastener plate for cooperating metal half-posts of partitionshaving a substantially fiat portion having the same general contour asthe inner configuration of the cooperating halfposts and provided withdrawing openings, said plate having angularly extending pilastersecuring projections, and drawing means cooperating with said plate insaid openings for bringing said half-posts into and holding them inpredetermined-fixed relation.

14. A hollow metal post construction including cooperating postsections, and devices within the post for drawing the sections into'predetermined fixed relation to each other comprising horizontal plateelements having drawing openings in vertical alignment with each other,and wedge means in said openings frictionally holding said plateelements together.

15. A hollow metal post construction including cooperating postsections, and devices within the post for drawing the sections intopredetermined fixed relation to eachother comprising horizontal plateelements having drawing openings in vertical alignment with each other,and wedge'means in said openings frictionally holding said plate ventingrelative movement of opposed post faces,

elements together, one of said plate elements 'Si having a plurality ofpost engaging edges contacting the inner walls of said post andpreventing twisting thereof.

16. A hollow metal post construction includr ranged plate elementshaving vertical drawing openings and wedge means rectilinea'rly movabledownwardly thereinto into rigid relation therewith.

ARTHUR S. DRIVER.

